***

Don't you just hate it when your lover's boss kills said lover and replaces them with one of their copies and gaslights you into thinking that copy is still your lover?

Well, that is the kind of situation Kolour and Nightmare are in.

(Not canon, obviously)

***

Warnings: Violence, murder, blood, strangulation, mentions of vague injuries, Nightmare

Synopsis: "Killer," he perked up at his name being called, a smile forced onto his lips. He straightened up at Nightmare's approach, waiting for him to arrive at his level.

Soon enough, Nightmare's imposing figure came into view, tendrils swaying behind him, passive. Killer's smile widened, a smile that will never reach those two black voids he called eyes.

"Yeah, boss?" Two words to answer him only, he did not like it when a sentence was too long or just a word long.

***

"Killer," he perked up at his name being called, a smile forced onto his lips. He straightened up at Nightmare's approach, waiting for him to arrive at his level.

Soon enough, Nightmare's imposing figure came into view, tendrils swaying behind him, passive. Killer's smile widened, a smile that will never reach those two black voids he called eyes.

"Yeah, boss?" Two words to answer him only, he did not like it when a sentence was too long or just a word long.

Nightmare seemed pleased with that reply.

"Go to Underfell #738," Killer nodded, already guessing what kind of service Nightmare wanted him to perform there.

"Where?" The other gave him a stern look. He should not have spoken up. His face stayed motionless but something akin to dread started blossoming in his chest. Nightmare's eye slowly glowed.

Thankfully for him though, the guardian of negativity seemed unwilling to proceed with a punishment at the moment.

W̶h̶i̶c̶h̶ ̶u̶s̶u̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶m̶e̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶s̶e̶ ̶p̶u̶n̶i̶s̶h̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶i̶t̶.̶̶̶H̶i̶s̶ ̶l̶e̶f̶t̶ ̶l̶e̶g̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶h̶u̶r̶t̶s̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶l̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶.̶

"Are you having trouble hearing or are you just stupid?" Nightmare raised an irritated eyebrow, a frustration that did not match with a hint of amusement in his eyes. Killer said nothing.

Trying to explain what he meant will only result in giving the former more reasons to screw him over later.

"Well?" Nightmare crossed his arms, a smug smile on his face. "I'm not going to repeat myself; you're wasting my time."

His round soul gave a pulse, glowing a brighter red.

Of course, Killer should have seen that coming.

He never would have let such a nice opportunity slip away.

Without his consent, he felt his mouth open. His voice also betrayed him, as he heard a flow of words he had no control over, spilling out of it like a river.

He did not even get to finish his second sentence that Nightmare raised a tendril in the air, slowly at first. He wanted to savor the moment, after all it is known that a delicious dessert should be appreciated slowly.

Killer tried to shut his own mouth in vain.

He should know by now that he obeyed the other, not his will.

That right was stripped a long time ago.

His soul pulsed again as the tendril struck him.

His body was sent flying across the hallway, his back colliding harshly against the stone wall behind him, knocking the air out of his lungs and momentarily stopping his monotone speech.

He could have sworn he heard something crack.

Well, he supposed it did not matter that much. It was not like they had enough medical equipment to really heal whatever happened to his ribcage.

He turned a blurry vision to the side just in time to see the end of a red scarf disappear behind a corner. Ah, well he guessed he could not really blame Dust for leaving, no one really wanted to deal with a mad Boss.

He vaguely saw Horror's head poke out said corner, sending him a worried look before he was dragged away by the other.

Even the monsters who were usually busy cleaning the castle at this time had hidden somewhere else.

He supposed it had become common knowledge now not to ever interfere with a punishment administered by Nightmare, especially when Killer was on the receiving end of it.

His soul pulsed.

He turned his head back, focusing on the other once more.

His voice tried to pick up the subject he was rambling about before, trying desperately to continue fulfilling the king's orders like its life depended on it.

W̶h̶i̶c̶h̶ ̶h̶o̶n̶e̶s̶t̶l̶y̶ ̶k̶i̶n̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶.̶

̶H̶e̶ ̶w̶o̶n̶d̶e̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶w̶h̶y̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶i̶d̶e̶a̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶N̶i̶g̶h̶t̶m̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶k̶i̶l̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶e̶i̶g̶n̶.̶

However, the flow of words was cut off again as he was lifted in the air by the throat, feet left dangling in the air as he started to feel the flames of asphyxia.

Killer yelled at his body to try and get it off.

His soul pulsed.

His survival reflexes were blocked: no hand scraping at the suffocating material, no desperate breath-taking attempt.

He remained frozen, the lack of oxygen really starting to become a problem.

Nightmare grinned up at him, knowing well how Killer was feeling at the moment, humming in content as he felt the power surging through him.

Though, he soon felt it fade, signaling Killer was losing consciousness.

God, mortals were so fragile and so easy to break.

He sighed as he let go. Five painful seconds that felt like five centuries later to the other, Killer fell on his knees, waking brutally as he was caught in a violent fit of coughing, a hand on his burning throat.

He could almost feel the corruption still sticking to his skin like a parasite.

"I want Snowdin to be wiped out by five," Nightmare started as he turned on his heels, knowing that even with his noises and pain, the other would still be listening. He had made sure he would this time of course. "Don't make me wait." He warned, sending him a look.

This time, when he was finally done coughing, Killer did not risk asking whether he should be back at five or be done with the task by five. He simply nodded, standing up on wobbly legs.

A fourth black tear strain started to roll down his cheek as the shape of his soul started shifting to a bundle of round lines barely containable.

***

As always, Stage Four was making quick work of the battlefield. Well, calling it a battlefield was quite exaggerated. Snowdin was really just a village.

One more person in sight just added another corpse to the pile.

His clothes were filthy red.

He was going to be lashed out at later for sure.

He dragged his leg around; it was still damaged from last time. His back was still hurting, and his throat was still scratchy and sore.

But he did not care.

He could not afford to care.

Nightmare said to kill them all so he had to do it, anything else could wait.

Wait, was his skin starting to get infected? Oh well.

Soon, the last person fell to the ground, covering more of the fake snow with crimson. It was starting to cover the corpses and other remains in a blanket of tainted white.

He looked up, holding out his palm to the ceiling of rocks. A snowflake fell on his skin, but it quickly faded out of his existence. How boring.

He eyed the desolating panorama around him with disinterest.

He should go back.

Then, the space sizzled before him.

He stepped back, his knife in hand. Who was it going to be? The Star Sanses? A teammate? Whoever it was, he had to be on guard.

He was not safe with anyone.

A̶n̶d̶ ̶n̶o̶b̶o̶d̶y̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶s̶a̶f̶e̶ ̶a̶r̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶.̶

Eventually, the intruder stepped out of the portal and Killer squint his eyes, flashing shades of grey shifting before his eyes.

Whoever it was, he did not recognize them.

He lunged at the person but the other swiftly got out of the way, grabbing his good arm. Killer ignored the way his wrist burned at the contact, his limb screaming in pain.

He backed away, the intruder strangely letting him go. He got back into position but before he was able to make another move, the other raised his hands as a sign of peace.

"I am not here to fight you Killer, I just want to talk to you." He narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you?" He was not sure Nightmare would have allowed him to talk but something about this man felt... familiar. The way the other looked hurt by the question only further enhanced the possibility they had met before.

But if that were the case, why could he not remember him?

He furrowed his brows.

Nope, no memory showed up.

"... My name is Colour," He answered after a short while, sighing. "Does it ring any bell?"

He felt a pang in his soul. The organ, that had been silent up until then, started to get unusually agitated. It bounced, it glowed brighter and dimmer then brighter and that on repeat. Killer felt the inexplicable urge to run into this guy's arms.

Though, the same soul pulsed, trying to drown out that desire while encouraging it itself, a part of it at least.

He winced, stepping back and holding the inverted heart—ᴡᴀɪᴛ, ᴀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ?

He stared at the new shape of his soul in shock, another emotion turning up: confusion.

Upon seeing that, Colour walked up to him and took his hand, gently.

Strangely, Killer did not even try to push him away.

"I'm..." he desperately wanted to say something, but he had no idea how he should word it or why he even wanted to speak to begin with.

Noticing his struggle, Colour intertwined their hands, stepping closer. Killer started shaking, feeling like his knees were buckling under the weight of this crushing emotion.

But it was not unpleasant.

Yet, it was overwhelming.

Killer flushed red as the other brought his hand to his cheek. That... why was he reacting so strongly to this? He did not get it.

Why was he so flustered suddenly?

Colour tilted his head toward him. His eyes bore into his.

"I'll get you out of there, I promise." He looked so sincere that white rings started to appear in his eyes, outside of his pitch-black sclera.

His heart glowed a bright red.